Door-knob fastener.



C. D. MALLATT.

DOOR KNOB FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 24,'I9II.

15,245,989. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

INVENTOR WITNEssEs l I @d at A ATTORNEY CHARLES D. MALLATT, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 CHARLES E. HOLMES, 0F MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

DOOR-KNQB FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Nov. 6, i917.

Application filed lIsebruary 24, 1917. Serial No. 150,760.-

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I). MALLATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Knob Fasteners, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention is an improved door knob fastener for use, instead of the usual screw, for fastening a door knob on the spindle, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character which is extremely cheap and simple, which may be applied in an instant to the shank of a door knob, and by means of which the door knob may be readily secured tothe spindle, a further object of the invention being to provide an improved fastening device of this character which is not liable to become casually detached from the knob shank andlost.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of de vices, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is an elevation of a door knob and the portion of a spindle provided with a fastening device constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detailed the fastening spring.

The spindle l is preferably provided on one side near one end with a series of ratchet teeth 2 each presenting an inclined face 3 and a notch or space being formed behind each tooth.

The knob 4 has the usual shank 5 provided with a bore for the reception of the spindle and in accordance with my invention the knob shank also has a radial opening 6 to register with any one of the notches formed between the teeth of the spindle. In the form of the invention here shown the knob shank is also provided with an exterior transversely arranged groove 7 of suitable length, width and depth and which perspective view of extends from" and communicates with the opening 6, said opening being at the deeper inner end of the groove. At the shallow, outer end of the groove is a detent device which is here shown as a lip 8. The fastener element is a spring 9 of arcuate form and of a length and width adapting it to be fitted in the., groove of the knob shank. At one end ofthe s ring is an inwardly extending arm 10 which is adapted to extend through the opening 6 and to engage in one of the notches formed behind one of the spindle teeth. At its outer end the spring is provided with av detent device 1l which is here shown as an inturned flange and which when the fastening spring is in place is snapped into engagement with the detent lip 8 of the knob shank, thus putting the fastening spring under spring tension, said fastening spring tending to contract longitudinally, as will be understood. The fastening spring is thus held securely on the knob shank and its inner end is vfree to be moved radially so that when the spindle is inserted in the neck shank and the teeth of the spindle passthe opening 6 the inclined face of each tooth exerts camming action on the arm 10 to force the latter outwardly and as the tooth passes said'opening said arm by thel retractile spring action of the fastening device snaps back into engagement with the notch or behind said tooth. When it isdesired to remove the fastener, to permit the withdrawal of the knob from the spindle this can be readily done by raising the free end of the spring by means of a knife blade or the like, to release the same from the teeth of the spindle and then drawing the knob outwardly, as will be understood.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In combination with a knob spindle having a notch, a knob having its shank provided with an opening to register with said' notch and also provided With a transverse exteriorly arranged groove extending from said opening and a detent lip at the outer endl of said groove, and an arcuate contrac tile fastening spring arranged in said groove and having an arm at one end extending through said opening)` of the knob shank and engaged with said notch of the spindle, said fastening spring having an nturned detent fange at its free end snapped over and enl0 gaged With said lip to detachabiy secure the fastening spring in place and permit radial movement of the inner end of the spring.

n testimony whereof a'HiX my signature.

CHAiLL-S D. MALLATT. 

